


Can't Wait to Be King

by FakeCirilla9



Category: The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: First Age, Gen, Gondolin, Scheming, Uncle-Nephew Relationship, also lion king references, and idril is the only one with reason and honesty in balance, children are annoying, maeglin is a jerk, tuor is guileless
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 07:07:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 945
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20578490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FakeCirilla9/pseuds/FakeCirilla9
Summary: Here, I did it. Lion King happening in Gondolin. Hate me all you want





	Can't Wait to Be King

“Come play with me, uncle Maeglin!” a child’s voice pealed out, filling the murky inside of the forge.

Maeglin’s skin pricked at the reminder of family ties. _Uncle. Cousin of thy mother when I shall be your father._ He had sought his kin for so long, only for it to bring him more sorrow than happiness, when that one elfmaid was a too close relative.

“Get lost, kid, I don't have time for infants.”

“I'll be a king one day.”

“Indeed,” Maeglin hit an anvil too hard.

“You will need to obey me-”

“Oh.”

“So you may start now.”

Maeglin smiled as charmingly as falsely, putting back his work.

“What would my majesty order then?”

“Let's go to the canyons!”

“The canyons… the mines I go looking for ore in you mean? Didn't your grandpa tell you not to go there? These are scary dark places. Full of danger and secrets.”

Each word made the kid’s eyes lit up more, instead of deterring him.

“Scary places? Dark tunnels? Full of secrets?” The lad repeated excitedly. “Take me there!”

“I won't.” Maeglin turned his back on the boy. “And you must not go by yourself.”

The blacksmith of Gondolin did not make the prince promise it. The child could have a ridiculous sense of honor despite being three, judging by his parents. And so Maeglin just let his poisonous words sink in, find their way to the little one’s mind and settle there. _You want something done, forbid children to do it_, as the dwarven saying went, thought Maeglin with grim smugness.

* * *

Hours later his fair cousin herself rushed into his quarters. Her presence made Maeglin reconsider that the kid could be advantageous, provide a leverage. But oh, well, he was really a greater threat than his mortal father or the old king that favored him. Once Idril will lose her family like Maeglin lost his, maybe she will come to him finally, become his-

“Have you seen my son?”

“Nay, my lady,” he bowed to hide his smirk. “What would he do here? Forges are not a place for a child, especially one with his tastes that prefers to play around the fountains, launching paper boats on the water.”

“But he's not at any of the fountains,” she must be truly desperate, when she was still here, talking to Maeglin after his negative answer. “I checked each of them at least twice.”

She looked to him and it was one of the seldom moments she looked with something akin to hope and not overwhelming disdain. It was not the kind of trust like the eager thing that was on her face whenever she saw her mortal lover, but some little allowance for Maeglin to solve her problem.

“Do not fret, my lady, we live in the Hidden City. There is no way out of it, right?” Maeglin barely held back the upward curl of the corner of his lips, as he knew secret passages that led off Turgon’s realm. “What evil could befall our beloved prince here?”

“I don't know, but he's so small. Maybe he sneaked out unnoticed…”

“By your father guards?” Maeglin raised an eyebrow.

“No. I mean. Ehm-” Maeglin studied her with a sharp glance, but she quickly cooled her mien, so he could no longer read if maybe she too had some secrets against her watchful father’s decree. “What if he got lost in the mountains? These are dangerous slopes even only from the inside.”

Maeglin silently waited for her to speak on. She cracked her knuckles, clearly uncomfortable to ask him for help.

“So I thought maybe you could order searches? Your men from quarries...”

“But these are your father’s men, my lady.”

The scornfulness flashed on her face again, but she got over it enough to carry on.

“Somehow I foretell they will conduct searches more diligently if you're the one giving the order.”

Triumph sang in Maeglin‘s soul. She may not fancy him, but at least she appreciated his abilities. And it was a more valuable praise than the one coming from Turgon, infatuated with him – or rather with Aredhel’s reflexion in him - as he was.

“Will you do it?”

Maeglin realized he stayed silent for so long that the proud princess forced herself to ask once again.

Just as Maeglin was about to assent and be the hero in Idril’s eyes, Tuor stepped in.

“Idril, I’ve found him!” he called, ruining Maeglin’s moment of glory and gloat.

The Man held his brat in his arms. The little one seemed safe and sound. There were still wet traces of tears on his cheeks, and his pupils were blown by recent fear, but he was quiet and content snuggled to his father’s breast.

Maeglin was forced to watch the happy family reunion, when Idril, tears of relief in her eyes, showered both her men with kisses. Maeglin gritted his teeth, almost grinding them, in a wide fake smile.

“He wanted to visit uncle's mines, yes? And got lost,” Tuor explained. “But a bit of fright was all that befallen him. And he wishes to say something to you, don’t you, Eärendil?”

“’m srry,” the child mumbled, pressing his face in Tuor’s neck.

“I don't think your mother caught that.”

The prince loosened his hold on Tuor, took a deep breath and faced smiling through her tears Idril.

“I'm sorry for making you worried. I will not wander away without permission again.”

Idril stroked the prince’s golden hair affectionately. Maeglin watched the expression of unconditional love lightening her face, felt the power of her feelings toward the little one and darkness grew yet more in his heart, fuelled by jealousy.


End file.
